Chinese National Remains Locked Up in Belize for Illegal Entry

Jun Yu

A forty-eight-year-old Chinese national remains on remand at the Belize Central Prison, pending a speedy trial in early 2024.  Jun Yu was provided with disclosure when he appeared unrepresented before a Senior Magistrate earlier today.  However, he was denied bail when the lower court judge was not satisfied the two sureties that accompanied his bail.  Yu has been on pretrial detention since October for an immigration offense that initially pled guilty to.  The Senior Magistrate was not satisfied with the facts presented by the Belize Immigration Department which did not support the charge brought against Yu.  When he was detained by immigration officials on October twenty-seventh, Yu was read a single charge of being a prohibited immigrant.  Yu arrived via a Copa Airlines flight on that day and when he was interviewed at the Philip Goldson International Airport, it was discovered that he did not have sufficient money to remain in the country.  In June of this year, Yu illegally entered Belize by crossing the banks of the Mopan River.  He was fined one thousand dollars when he appeared in the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court.  He was unable to pay his fine and was sentenced to three months in prison.  When he was finally able to pay the fine, as well as purchase a ticket to leave Belize, Yu only made as far as Panama before being sent back to Belize.  As it turns out, there was discrepancy with Yu’s ticket and he was returned to Belize on a Copa Airline.